Power switching devices may be used to control the amount of power provided to loads. A power switching device may include a power transistor, which may be configured to control the amount of power provided to an external load, and an internal controller that enables built-in fault protection. In addition, a power switching device may include a plurality of connectors (i.e., pins) that are used to transport signals from the power switch device to one or more external devices. For instance, a power switching device may have an input pin configured to receive an activation signal, and an output pin configured to output a power signal to a load.
In some systems, such as battery powered systems, some power switching devices may always receive power while other power switching devices may only receive power under certain conditions. For instance, in a vehicle, some power switching devices may always receive power, referred to as KL30 supply, while other power switching devices may only receive power when the engine on, referred to as KL15 supply.
In some examples, such as for power switching devices that always receive power (i.e., KL30), it may be desirable to reduce the amount of power consumed, e.g., when the engine is off. For instance, high power consumption by power switching devices may reduce the life-span of the battery, and may also reduce the amount of power available from the battery, which may prohibit the vehicle from starting. As such, some power switching devices may be configured to operate in a plurality of power modes, at least one of which is a low-current consumption mode (LCCM) also referred to as a low-power operating mode.
In some examples, an external controller may be used to control the operation of one or more power switching devices. As one example, a controller may be configured to output an activation signal to an input connector of a power switching device to cause the power switching device to output a power signal to a load via its output connector. As another, a controller may output an operating mode control signal to a mode select connector of a power switching device to cause the power switching device to transition between operating modes.
In some examples, it may be desirable for a controller to communicate additional information with a power switching device. For instance, as opposed to only receiving an activation signal, it may be desirable for a power switching device to exchange additional information with the controller.